Preparation and manipulation of high quality nucleic acids are primary requirements for a variety of applications, such as analyte-detection, sensing, forensic and diagnostic applications, genome sequencing, and the like. Various applications of nucleic acids are typically preceded by a purification process to eliminate unwanted contaminants from the nucleic acids, which may interfere in downstream applications. Techniques including gel electrophoresis, capillary electrophoresis or electrophoresis in microfluidic or microanalytical devices, which are mainstay in molecular and cell biology and enable purification and separation of specific nucleic acids.
The separation of nucleic acids provide information on size of the nucleic acids, which is useful for predicting a number of genetic disorders, such as genetic pre-dispositions or acquired mutations/local rearrangements for deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The ribonucleic acid (RNA) profiles represent “snap shots” of the cell's biology, since they are continuously changing in response to the surrounding environment.
In some applications, nucleic acid analysis requires sample-preparation involving multiple steps, such as collection, separation or purification of the nucleic acids from a biological sample. A simplified method for preparing nucleic acid sample for subsequent analysis is highly desirable. A simultaneous separation and amplification of nucleic acids is especially required when the quantity of the biological sample is less, for example, the sample procured for biopsy or a sample collected for forensic application.
Different technologies have been developed to separate nucleic acids from a liquid sample using a substrate, which includes: separating nucleic acids from a sample by flowing the sample along a bibulous membrane to distribute along the length of the membrane. In another method, at least two cellular components (such as, genomic DNA, RNA and proteins) is separated, wherein an aqueous solution including the cellular components applied to multiple mineral supports followed by washing. In many of these methods, the substrate requires a washing step with a buffer or a solution, which is not compatible with the subsequent process steps. The washing buffer needs to remove from the substrate before executing the subsequent steps. These methods are time consuming and complex as they require multiple steps (such as washing or elution) or multiple substrates.
The increased use of nucleic acids requires fast, simple and reliable methods and systems for separating nucleic acids.